Arizona officials consider expanding medical marijuana program

In this Tuesday Jan. 26, 2010 file photo, a pedestrian walks past a marijuana leaf neon sign advertising a medical marijuana provider along a street in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles, Calif. States may be saying yes to medical marijuana, but local governments are increasingly using their laws to keep dispensaries out. In California, nearly 200 city and county governments have banned marijuana dispensaries over the last eight years. That?s three times as many as have adopted regulations for them. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

The Arizona Department of Health Services held a public hearing to consider requests to expand its fledgling medical marijuana program.

More than two-dozen people spoke in favor of expanding the state’s medical-pot program at Friday’s 2½-hour hearing.

State health officials must periodically consider adding conditions to the program under the 2010 law approved by voters.

Arizona is considering requests to allow use of marijuana for an array of conditions, including post-traumatic stress syndrome, migraines, depression and general anxiety disorder.

The law already permits medical marijuana use for such medical reasons as cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, chronic pain, muscle spasms and hepatitis C.

The health department received more than 400 applications for medical-pot dispensaries by Friday’s deadline. State law allows 126 dispensaries; health officials will award dispensary certificates on Aug. 7.